Music

Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire, motivate and change the way pupils feel, think and act.

It is a vehicle for personal expression and it can play an important part in the personal development of people.

Music reflects the culture and society we live in, and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand themselves and relate to others and the world they live in.

The teaching of music develops pupils’ ability to listen and appreciate a wide variety of music and to make judgments about musical quality.  It encourages active involvement in different forms of amateur music-making, both individual and communal, thereby developing a sense of group identity and togetherness.

Besides being a creative and enjoyable activity, music can also be a highly academic and demanding subject.

It also increases self-discipline and creativity, aesthetic awareness, sensitivity and fulfilment.

We provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop the skills to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to begin to make judgments about the quality of music.

At Newminster we try to make music an enjoyable learning experience. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children.

The aims of music teaching are to enable children to:

·       know and understand how sounds are made and then organized into musical structures;

·       know how music is made through a variety of instruments;

·       know how music is composed and written down;

·       foster pupils’ sensitivity to, and their understanding and enjoyment of, music, through an active involvement in listening, performing and composing and appraising;

·       enable all pupils to realize their individual creative potential and to express themselves through music;

·       enable pupils to acquire and develop the inter-related musical skills involved in performing, composing, listening and appraising;

·       extend and develop pupils’ awareness and understanding of traditions, idioms and music styles from a variety of cultures, times and places.

·       develop, through music, pupils’ skills which contribute to learning across the curriculum;

·       contribute to the community and the school’s ethos. 

Music Overview:

All classes get 1 lesson of 55 minutes per week.

Year 5 are taught in form groups.

Years 6, 7 and 8 are taught in a carousel system (involving Music, Design Technology and Food technology). Group sizes are smaller and better suited for practical work.  Click here to see the Music Curriculum Overview.